Did you land in Mallorca only to find the island is a bit bigger than you think? How are you supposed to get all the way from the airport to Alcúdia on the other side of the island? Luckily, Mallorca has an extensive public transportation network operated by Transports de les Illes Balears (TIB) that includes train, metro and bus lines.
Mallorca’s 3 Train Lines
There are three train lines run by TIB that leave the Estació Intermodal across from Plaça d’Espanya in Palma. These trains have regular schedules but have slightly different stop times early in the morning and late at night. The earliest train leaves Palma at 5:46 AM and the latest at 10:20 PM.
They have different schedules on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays as well. On these days, the earliest train leaves Palma at 6:10 AM and the latest at 10:10 PM.
Because all three trains share a line for part of their length before splitting and also share the line with the M2 metro line, it can sometimes be confusing which to catch. Before diving into each line, I’ll simplify things by telling you can catch any of the trains (excluding the M2 metro) if you’re going to the following towns:
- Marratxí
- Es Caülls
- Santa Maria
- Consell
- Binissalem
- Llloseta
- Inca
If you’re going to another stop, you’ll have to find the specific line that covers it.
T1 – Tren Inca
The T1 train travels from Palma to Inca and back without going any farther. Unlike the T3 train, it also stops at every metro stop between Palma and Marratxi, meaning it takes six or seven minutes longer to reach Marratxí and the towns afterwards than the direct T3 line.
During the main part of the day from Monday to Friday, T1 leaves the Estació Intermodal in Palma at 10 minutes to every hour and arrives in Inca at 24 minutes after the hour. It then leaves Inca at 36 minutes after every hour and arrives in Palma at 10 minutes after the next hour. Like all the trains, it has different hours early in the morning and late at night. T1 doesn’t run on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
T2 – Tren Sa Pobla
The T2 train follows the same line as T1 to Inca stopping at all the metro stops. It then continues on to Enllaç, a platform where you have to change trains to follow the line to its final three stops:
- Llubí
- Muro
- Sa Pobla
In other words, if you want to go to any of those three towns, this train is your only option. It leaves the Estació Intermodal in Palma at 32 minutes after every hour and takes 52 minutes to reach Sa Pobla, arriving at 24 minutes after the next hour. It then leaves Sa Pobla every hour on the hour and arrives in Palma at 10 till.
T3 – Tren Manacor
Unlike the other two trains, T3 normally skips the metro stops except early in the morning, late at night, and on weekends and holidays. Instead, it goes from the Estació Intermodal in Palma directly to Marratxí. Like T2, it then continues past Inca to Enllaç to where you have to change trains to go on to:
- Sineu
- Petra
- Manacor
In this case, T3 is the only way to visit these three towns. T3 leaves Palma at 17 minutes after each hour and travels 59 minutes before arriving in Manacor at 16 minutes after the next hour. It then leaves Manacor at 25 minutes after each hour and gets back to Palma at 24 minutes after the next hour.
Mallorca TIB Timetable
As of August 2022, this is the official train timetable as per TIB. Pay close attention to the differing times in the morning and at night as well as the separate schedule for Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
Train by Stop
When I first moved to Mallorca, the stand-alone timetable was a bit confusing. Personally, I find it easier to determine which stop you need to go to and then check which of the trains will get you there. To help with that, I created this handy chart.
| Stop | Weekdays | Weekends and holidays |
| Palma (Estació Intermodal) | T1 T2 T3 M1 M2 | T2 T3 |
| Jacint Verdaguer | T1 T2 M1 M2 | T2 T3 |
| Son Costa/Son Fortesa | T1 T2 M1 M2 | T2 T3 |
| Son Fuster | T1 T2 M2 | T2 T3 |
| Son Cladera/Es Vivero | T1 T2 M2 | T2 T3 |
| Verge de Lluc | T1 T2 M2 | T2 T3 |
| Pont d’Inca | T1 T2 M2 | T2 T3 |
| Pont d’Inca Nou | T1 T2 M2 | T2 T3 |
| Poligon de Marratxí | T1 T2 M2 | T2 T3 |
| Marratxí | T1 T2 T3 M2 | T2 T3 |
| Es Caülls | T1 T2 T3 | T2 T3 |
| Santa Maria de Camí | T1 T2 T3 | T2 T3 |
| Alaró/Consell | T1 T2 T3 | T2 T3 |
| Binissalem | T1 T2 T3 | T2 T3 |
| Lloseta | T1 T2 T3 | T2 T3 |
| Inca | T1 T2 T3 | T2 T3 |
| Llubí | T2 | T2 |
| Muro | T2 | T2 |
| Sa Pobla | T2 | T2 |
| Sineu | T3 | T3 |
| Petra | T3 | T3 |
| Manacor | T3 | T3 |
Mallorca’s 2 Metro Lines
Mallorca has two train lines that TIB refers to as “metro” lines. In reality, they aren’t much like urban mass transit rail because it only comes every 30-40 minutes. However, because the two lines briefly overlap along with the T1 and T2 train lines, you can often use it to easily travel to stops between Palma and Marratxí.
M1 – UIB
The M1 runs from the Estació Intermodal in Palma to the Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB). Monday-Friday it leaves Palma every 30 minutes starting at 6:35 AM. At 5:05 PM this changes to every 40 minutes. On Saturdays it runs from 7 AM-2 PM every hour, and it doesn’t run on Sundays.
The M1 follows the train line until Son Costa where it branches off and takes other stops until it reaches the UIB. All its stops include:
- Palma (Estació Intermodal)
- Jacint Verdaguer
- Son Costa/Son Fortesa
- Son Fuster Vell
- Son Castelló
- Gran Via Asima
- Camí dels Reis
- Son Sardina
- UIB
The M1 is the ony way to reach the above stops from Son Fuster Vell to the UIB.
M2 – Marratxí
The M2 runs the same line as the train. In fact, it makes all the same stops as the T1 and T2 trains until it reaches Marratxí, after which it turns around and goes back to the Estació Intermodal. For this reason, if you catch the T3 train from Manacor and need to stop at one of the stops in between Marratxí and Palma, you’ll need to get off in Marratxí and catch the M2.
You can check times for the M2 on the main train timetable.
TIB’s Extensive and Confusing Bus Network in Mallorca
While Mallorca’s train network is somewhat limited, only taking you to a handful of places, you can get to a much larger number of towns by TIB bus. However, these bus lines don’t generally make loops or connections. Instead, the vast majority leave from the Estació Intermodal in Palma and go to a specific destination via a number of stops and then return. Some buses leave from other TIB stations accessible by train or other bus lines.
The bus lines all have a three digit number that reflects the region of their destination. For example, all 200 lines go to the Tramuntana mountains, 203 traveling between Palma and Port de Sóller specifically.
The problem is that you may want to go to a stop on one of the lines and not the final destination, in which case the regional numbers aren’t necessarily helpful. Instead, you’ll just have to look at the map.
Once you’ve determined your route, you can look up the lines on TIB’s website to find times. You can also use their search tool to determine a route, but honestly, Google Maps works better.
Some Routes Require Reservation!
I learned this the hardway, the way that means you have to hitch hike across Es Pla in 85-degreee weather. Some infrequent routes, like Sineu-Sant Joan, only run if someone requests them the day prior. When looking up the routes, check for this fine print.
TIB Is Not the Same as EMT!
The TIB buses, the big red and yellow ones, make a few stops in Palma, but intracity travel is mostly handled by Empresa Municipal de Transportes de Palma de Mallorca (EMT). These are the smaller blue and green buses you see around the city.
You can connect between the two networks at the Estació Intermodal and in some cases use your TIB intermodal card, but they’re otherwise two entirely separate networks. Transport cards and payment are handled separately. EMT has its own app and website.
Don’t worry. If you need to learn how to navigate the EMT bus network, we have a guide for that as well.
How to Get a Ticket for the TIB Train or Bus
You can buy train tickets at vending machines or the ticket counter inside the Estació Intermodal across from Plaza España where you can pay with cash and bank cards. You can also buy train tickets online.
For the buses, you can purchase tickets from the driver on the bus itself, but TIB offers a 40% discount to buy the tickets online since it saves the bus time.
Ticket Prices
Single-trip tickets for the trains, metro lines and buses depend on the number of salts, or hops, you’re taking. Basically, this means how far you’re going. The salts are based on this map:
Traveling from one color-coded region to another is a salt, so traveling from Santa Maria to Sa Pobla is one salt while Palma to Alcúdia is four salts, the maximum. However, if you go from Palma to Marratxí, you stay in the same region, so it’s 0 salts.
Single-trip tickets don’t include connections, so if, for example, you ride the train to Sineu and then catch the bus to Maria de la Salut, you’ll have to buy a separate bus ticket.
Train Ticket Prices
Bus Ticket Prices
How to Get Your Intermodal Card
The TIB targeta intermodal, or intermodal card, is a great alternative if you plan to use the train or bus frequently to get around Mallorca. Not only does it allow you to more easily board the trains or buses since you merely have to scan the card instead of buying a ticket, but it provides a discount depending on your profile:
| Profile | Age | Discount |
| General | 31-64 | 60% |
| Youth | 17-30 | 70% |
| Pensioner | 65+ | 80% |
| Child | 4-16 | 100% |
To get an intermodal card, you’ll have to go to the customer service office the the Estació Intermodal or the other service points around the island. I’ll forewarn you that you usually have to wait in line for a while. You’ll need the following documentation for a General or Youth card:
- Original and photocopy of ID (DNI, NIE or passport)
- If your ID doesn’t have a Mallorcan address: Certificate of registration (Certificado de empadromiento)
- A colored passport photo
Your first intermodal card is free, but a duplicate costs €8.